An unlikely coalition has formed to try to stop cuts to California’s Medi-Cal program.

Medical groups, insurers, physicians and a union support a bill
to reverse a 10 percent cut to provider rates in a state budget
from two years ago.

They say payments in Medi-Cal are already barebones, and the
program needs strong footing to accept more people under the
Affordable Care Act next year.

"It's already hard enough for medical providers, responders,
community clinics to service this unique population because we're
critically underfunding the Medi-Cal reimbursements," says
Democratic State Senator Ricardo Lara, who is carrying a bill
to reverse Governor Brown's administration's savings
measure.

"Folks are still treating Medi-Cal patients and it's really a
labor of love," adds Lara.

Lara's measure has bi-partisan support in both houses of
the legislature. Republican Assemblymember Brian Maienshein
says the state's budget picture has improved.

"I think that this is the appropriate time to start restoring
some of those cuts," says Maienshein.

"Anytime you're cutting health care, sometimes those costs and
expenses show up in other areas," he adds.

The Brown Administration says the Medi-Cal cuts will save
more than a half a billion dollars in the coming year.

H.D Palmer with the California Department of Finance says any
surplus the state has now may not exist next year, and would
go in part to education.

"We have to be very prudent in terms of what we're doing with
the budget, and we can't unwind or undo a lot of the reductions
that we've done in the past if we're going to stay in balance,"
says Palmer.

The Medi-Cal savings measure has been help up in courts, but
could take effect as early as June.